Reviews Editor for the American Archivist

In January, SOIS Senior Lecturer and Director of the Archival Studies Program Amy Cooper Cary was named Reviews Editor for the American Archivist, the semi-annual publication of the Society for American Archivists (SAA). Cooper Cary will be taking over the position from Jeanette A. Bastian, a professor at Simmons College in Massachusetts.

In addition to her quality reputation as an educator, Cooper Cary brings the experience of having served as editor for other prestigious archives publications. She was an editor for Archival Issues and served on the editorial boards American Archivist, Archival Issues, and Journal of Archival Organization. She has also been continually active in the SAA and the Midwest Archives Conference.

As reviews editor, Cooper Cary will be responsible for soliciting book reviews, producing announcements and getting colleagues engaged in the archival field. “I’ll be reading for best practice in the field,” she said, “asking other professionals to engage with the literature.”

Cooper Cary, who was an archivist at the University of South Dakota and at the University of Iowa, understands the position from the perspective of a practitioner as well as an academic. She takes over at a time when more and more material is moving to digital format.

“Even though there are a lot of items now that are ‘born digital’ like documents and images, we still have to make older items more accessible,” said Cooper Cary. “It’s important to stay up on the literature so that we can establish a quicker response to managing resources.”

The importance of the position is not lost on Cooper Cary. She feels that the field of archival studies is “galloping forward” in terms of theory and practice.

It is also an exciting time for the SOIS Archival Studies program. This summer, the program sends nine students to Scotland to learn about archival work in the United Kingdom and Europe. The program has also recently developed an option for students to earn a transcript-designated concentration in archival studies. With the concentration in place and more students engaged in hands-on archival work , Cooper Cary and Assistant Dean Chad Zahrt are excited at the thriving archives community at SOIS.

“Amy is an incredible asset for SOIS,” said Zahrt. “With her enthusiasm, we expect the Archival Studies program to continue to grow and have an impact on the profession for years to come.”